MADRID, Sept. 12 -- The battle for the 2018 Vuelta de Espana (Tour of Spain) cycle race is tighter than ever after a dramatic 17th stage between Getxo and the Balcon de Bizkaya in the Basque region of northern Spain on Wednesday.
Michael Woods (Education First) won the stage after showing himself the strongest rider of a breakaway which opened up after around 40 kilometers of the 151-kilometer stage. Woods finished just ahead of Dylan Teuns (BMC Racing Team) and David de la Cruz (Sky), while behind them the race for the overall classification developed.
With the finish line shrouded in fog, the riders looked as if they were riding over the finish line in slow motion.
Although the stage gave little moments for rest as it covered the rolling hilly terrain of the Basque region, the final 30 kilometers were exceptionally testing with three climbs; the last of which up the Balcon de Bizkaia was on a road with a concrete rather than an asphalt surface, making its ramps of up to 20 percent gradient even more difficult.
Valverde launched a strong attack with around four kilometers on the climb up to the Balcon de Bizkaia and that saw his team-mate Nairo Quintana lose contact with the group of favorites.
Race leader Simon Yates and Enric Mas (Quick Step) were able to maintain contact with Valverde until the closing meters when Valverde and Mas were able to steal 8 seconds off him at the finish line.
That means Valverde, who ceded 7 seconds to Yates in Tuesday's time trial, will go into Thursday's flat stage 18 just 25 seconds off the lead, with Mas moving into third place a minute and 22 seconds off the lead after Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo), who began the day in third place, struggled on the final climb.
2017届河南省鄢陵高考英语十月阅读理解语法填空训练:5(含解析)
2017版高考英语外研版一轮复习跟踪检测:必修1 Module5《A Lesson in a Lab》(含解析)
2017版高考英语外研版一轮复习跟踪检测:必修2 Module1《Our Body and Healthy Habits》(含解析)
2017版高考英语外研版一轮复习跟踪检测:必修5 Module6《Animals in Danger》(含解析)
2017届河南省鄢陵高考英语十月阅读理解语法填空训练:8(含解析)
2017版高考英语外研版一轮复习跟踪检测:选修6 Module5《Cloning》(含解析)
2017版高考英语外研版一轮复习跟踪检测:必修4 Module5《A Trip Along the Three Gorges》(含解析)
2017版高考英语外研版一轮复习跟踪检测:必修5 Module5《The Great Sports Personality》(含解析)
2017版高考英语外研版一轮复习跟踪检测:选修6 Module6《War and Peace》(含解析)
2017年高考英语一轮复习讲练测:选修6 Unit 3-5(练)(原卷版)
2017届河南省鄢陵高考英语十月阅读理解语法填空训练:7(含解析)
2017版高考英语外研版一轮复习跟踪检测:必修3 Module1《Europe》(含解析)
2017版高考英语外研版一轮复习跟踪检测:必修3 Module5《Great People and Great Inventions of Ancient China》(含解析)
2017版高考英语外研版一轮复习跟踪检测:必修3 Module2《Developing and Developed Countries》(含解析)
2017届河南省鄢陵高考英语十月阅读理解语法填空训练:9(含解析)
2017版高考英语外研版一轮复习跟踪检测:必修5 Module1《British and American English》(含解析)
2017版高考英语外研版一轮复习跟踪检测:选修7 Module2《Highlights of My Senior Year》(含解析)
2017版高考英语外研版一轮复习跟踪检测:必修1 Module1《My First Day at Senior High》(含解析)
2017版高考英语外研版一轮复习跟踪检测:必修5 Module4《Carnival》(含解析)
2017届河南省鄢陵高考英语十月阅读理解语法填空训练:4(含解析)
2017年高考英语一轮复习讲练测:选修6 Unit 3-5(练)(解析版)
2017版高考英语外研版一轮复习跟踪检测:必修3 Module6《Old and New》(含解析)
2017版高考英语外研版一轮复习跟踪检测:必修2 Module4《Fine Arts-Western,Chinese and Pop Arts》(含解析)
2017版高考英语外研版一轮复习跟踪检测:必修1 Module3《My First Ride on a Train》(含解析)
2017届河南省鄢陵高考英语十月阅读理解语法填空训练:3(含解析)
2017版高考英语外研版一轮复习跟踪检测:必修4 Module1《Life in the Future》(含解析)
2017版高考英语外研版一轮复习跟踪检测:必修4 Module2《Traffic Jam》(含解析)
2017版高考英语外研版一轮复习跟踪检测:选修6 Module3《Interpersonal Relationships-Friendship》(含解析)
2017版高考英语外研版一轮复习跟踪检测:必修3 Module3《The Violence of Nature》(含解析)
2017版高考英语外研版一轮复习跟踪检测:必修2 Module3《Music》(含解析)